Hello, one last time.
Iceland. The land of Fire and Ice. Or so they say. What "they" don't tell you, is that this country is more, much more. We have never in our lives seen such landscape, such natural wonder and phenomenon. From enormous glaciers, to marshy fields. Natural hot springs and volcanoes. Horse and sheep filled pastures. One season you have the northern lights, the next, the midnight sun. Amazing.
While in Ireland, we made the decision to rent a car for our ten days in Iceland. Best. Decision. Ever. That blue 1995 Toyota Corolla was our home...literally. With the back seats down, it was a perfect bed for two. I'll admit, I wasn't expecting to sleep as well as I did.
With our little home on wheels, we took 5 days to drive from the airport in Keflavik, to a small town called Höfn (pronounced like "hup"), stopping at hot springs, lagoons, glaciers, National Parks. Pretty much whatever caught our attention.
We started the trip out right with a visit to the Blue Lagoon. Set amongst fields of black lava rock, and fed by water from a slightly eerie and futuristic looking geothermal plant, this is a place for utter relaxation. Add conditioning and exfoliating mineral salts, algae, and silica mud to the perfect 38 degree water, and we have ourselves a party. Not to be missed by anyone planning a trip to Iceland. If only it was free.
After a good soak, we continued on to find a place to park our car and sleep for the night. The scenery was incredibly strange. Volcanic rock covered in grey moss, everywhere. No trees, no grass. It felt more like Mars then Earth.
Forty minutes later we'd found a nice little hideout for the eve. We hung some towels and scarves up on the windows to block the light, and settled in for our first nights stay. Oh, didn't I mention? It doesn't get dark in Iceland during the summer. Strange as it is, we have not seen darkness for ten days now. I've always loved the sun, but at 1:00am it isn't as nice anymore. Be careful what you wish for, right?
The next morning, we were up and heading east towards a town called Selfoss, in search of breakfast and an ATM (still hadn't figured out the conversion from Dollars to Króna at that point...it ends up being about $1 to ikr126). We ventured in to Selfoss, found ourselves a bakery, grocery store, and bank machine and continued on. In about twenty minutes, the scenery went from rock and moss, to marshy, shrub-filled fields.
We made a stop at Pingvellir National park, where we hiked in and around the huge fissures and sat by the falls. Later, we stopped at Geysir. We stood by as the hot, bubbling pools of water slowly gained momentum before bursting up from deep within the ground, like an upside-down waterfall. Counting down the minutes in between each eruption was maddening. Such anticipation. I've never tried so hard to get a picture!
Next stop, Gulfoss, a magnificent waterfall with a double cascade thundering down into a narrow ravine. Major tourist spot, but it was beautiful to see.
We made it to a town called Hella by about 5:30pm, where we stopped for a cup of tea and some wifi access. Later, we had a picnic dinner on the riverside.
Again, we found a good spot to camp out, hung our "curtains" and called 'er a night. We were exhausted!
We woke up and drove to Bakki, where we jumped on a ferry to spend the day on Heimaey Island, the only inhabitable island of Vestmannaeyjar (Westmann Islands). Vestmannaeyjar is made up of 15 looming islands, all but one formed by submarine volcanoes around 11,000 years ago. The one exception rose from the waves in 1963.
Heimaey is spectacular. Puffin-filled cliffs on one side of the busy harbor, and two volcanoes on the other. We spent the day hiking around the top of Herjólfsdalur and I watched as Andrew army-crawled through puffin poop to take some pictures of those brilliant-looking, but not so bright birds. I quite enjoyed it really. Iceland actually has the largest population of Puffins in the world.
We had lunch, and then went to explore the Pompei of the North. In 1973, one of the volcanoes on Heimaey erupted, burying 400 houses underneath it's lava. Thankfully, the town had evacuated before the volcano erupted. It was strange to walk though the flowers and shrubs growing up through the rocks, knowing that someone's beloved home lies beneath.
After catching a ferry back to mainland, we took a drive in search of a hot spring to relax in before bed. We found Seljavallalaug nestled into the hillside. Hidden from sight if your on the highway, this concrete pool is in the middle of freaking no-where. Its filled by a natural hot spring, and it and the spectacular view is completely free. We soaked there for a while, before setting up our car for bedtime.
In the morning, we continued driving east towards Vik. We stopped along the way to take a walk around Myrdalsjökull, a dirt and volcanic sand-covered glacier.
Once in Vik, we found a cafe, ordered a latte, and sat in the beautiful sun. Yes, SUN! Not just bright grey clouds, but real, hot, sun. We tool advantage of the weather and stayed in Vik for the entire day. We hiked up Reynisfjall, where Andy did some Puffin chasing, and I caught up on some reading. The sun stuck around for us, and we basked in the 23 degree weather (that's HOT for Iceland).
Skaftafell National Park was our next stop. We spent the night there, and in the morning set off on a 6 hour hike through the plateaus, mountains, and glaciers of Skaftafell. Unreal scenery. Ive never seen anything as beautiful and peculiar as an enormous glacier wedged in between two mountains. And the colors; you have black dirt and rock, green grass and shrubs, and in between is the blue-white ice.
We camped out at the Jökulsárlón lagoon that evening. Sitting along the shore and watching the icebergs float and bob through the ripping current was really amazing. Seals popped their shiny black heads in and out of the water, oblivious to us humans watching intently. Andy set up a little trap for his beer to cool in the glacial water, and we watched the midnight sun slowly graze the horizon, before peeking back up again.
Höfn was our next stop, where we spent the day soaking in the outdoor pool and hot pots (hot tubs). We decided to make our way back west towards Reykjavik.
We spent four nights in Reykjavik, and what a city! You'll find everything from quiet book-cafes, to rowdy night clubs. Graffiti-splattered walls to immense concrete churches. The best part was waking up in the morning, finding a new cafe, and then walking the streets of Reykjavik. You won't run out of people-watching or photo opportunities here. The city screams creativity. Local designers set up shops selling clothes, jewelry, photography, and EVERYTHING on between. The food is unreal(although expensive), the people icy, but still friendly, and the music a little bit quirk, a little bit funky, and constantly changing and evolving. The talent is endless. All in all, Reykjavik was a cultural experience we weren't expecting! We spent a coupled evening laying in a park called Heart Square, where different DJ's played on a graffiti-filled stage. Tons of locals hung around there, beer in hand, listening and bobbing their heads to the beat. Ah, it was so great.
Now, here I am nestled in to seat 8D on our flight from Reykjavik to Halifax. You would think the reality of HOME would have set in by now, but it still feels as if we are just flying to yet another unknown country. Another adventure.
With that said, I suppose going home is an adventure. Unknown? No. But are we excited, anxious, and ready? Absolutely.
We're coming home.
A&C
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Saturday, July 07, 2012
Ireland: It's a Pub Life
Hey all, what's the story?!
Upon arrival into the gloriously green country of Ireland, our expectation of the country and the people in it was met instantly. An oddly-light misty rain greeted us, and the reply we got when asking a stranger about the bus whereabouts was "I haven't a clue!" accompanied by a huge, friendly grin. Minutes later we located said bus. After a brief discussion about the weather and where we needed to go with the driver, we were comfortably in our seats.
Ahh, the ease of an English-speaking country.
Our first stop was Dublin, with it's colorfully jam-packed streets and big-city feel. After settling in to our hostel, we threw ourselves into the mass of locals and tourists alike to explore. We hadn't even walked for ten minutes before hearing the various street performers playing and singing their hearts out to some traditional Irish tunes. We even passed by a little man dressed as a leprechaun...yep, that happened.
After getting some food and a coffee at a cute cafe, we spent a bit more time roaming the streets before heading back to our hostel. We had a small rest before deciding it was Guinness time. It's not hard to find a pub in Ireland, so we learnt to choose by music. We'd also heard lots about a big pub called Temple Bar, so we walked there to check it out. The pub itself was pretty cool, amd even though it's huge it was packed with people. The live band was unreal. Two guys absolutely-I'm going to be extremely Canadian here-GIVIN' ER on a banjo and guitar. Everyone was clapping and singing along. We were happily drinking our Guinness and relishing in the rowdier side of Pub Life in Ireland.
After our short stop in Dublin, we made our way south to Galway. A smaller city set on the coast, Galway was amazing for it's food and drink choices. One favorite of mine was Cupan Tae. A small and intimate traditional tea house with a simple, but delicious food menu. The tea choices were no bore, let me tell you! We could have sat for days trying to decide. Once you do finally make your choice, you are served your tea in the cutest teapot imaginable. Add some homemade goodies on top of that...heaven. Another great food stop was McDonaghs, where we tried the famous fish and chips. Mmm, perfect for a night of beer drinking. Speaking of drinking, the night scene was very alive! Girls in sky-high heels and wedges and guys in their track pants rule the streets. Shouting, dancing, and drinking their way from pub to pub. If watching that isn't entertaining enough you have a wide array of live-music to choose from. From the streets to the pubs, men and women play everything from Sum 41 hits to Galway Girl (Ps I Love You, anyone?). It makes for a great night out.
We spent a day on a tour of Burren and the Cliffs of Moher. Weather was extremely good to us, with the sun out and the sky clear. 650 ft high, 8 km long, the cliffs are quite spectacular. My camera was busy ;)
We met one old man we'll never forget...Andrew and I were walking along the ocean, and on our way back into town there was a 5 foot-nothin' man clad in wool and thick black-rimmed glasses, sitting on a bench not far from us. He struck up a conversation, and after about 20 minutes of chatting, we had barely understood a word! Andrew got the bits about salmon coming into the harbor, and how they are building a temporary bridge for the summer festivals(I'm pretty sure he called it "craziness"). At one point I brought up how great the history throughout Europe is, his reply? "Aggh, yeeah, the stone age and all that craic". Hilarious. His lack of teeth and strong accent made for an interesting chat. Never-the-less, his friendly manner made our day, "Ahh, I'm sure I'll be seein' yees again".
On a rainy day, I convinced Andrew to come to Bikram Yoga with me. An hour and a half of yoga in the hot room was enough to almost kill us! The good thing is, as we were readying our umbrellas to walk home in the rain, a guy from the class offered us a ride. We happily accepted, and after chatting during the drive we decided to meet for a drink later. After a much-needed shower we met up with Brian (a local from Galway) and his girlfriend Amy (from Wisconsin) in a quirky family-owned pub full, from floor to roof, with artifacts the family has been collecting since the 1800's. We spent the evening pub-hopping and chatting away. At the end of the night Brian and Amy invited us to stay with them. Their house is just outside of Galway, over-looking an old castle and farmers fields. We had such a good time staying with these two. They cooked great meals, Brian sang and played guitar for us, and we all snuggled in by the fire in the evening. It was so homey and comfortable. I cant tell you how nice it was to wake up to tea and crepes in the morning! Amy, you are a gem. They showed us around Galway some more (Brian is actually the one who introduced us to Cupan Tae, McDonaghs, and more great restaurants), from the busy streets, to the harbor.
Our last morning Amy cooked us a traditional Irish breakfast, complete with Black Pudding. They call it the Farmers breakfast. The array of meats and sausages will keep you full until supper! Andrew loved it all, especially the lemon-tasting sausages. Mentally, I, being Miss Picky, didn't enjoy the Black Pudding. As far as taste goes, it was quite salty, but I couldn't help thinking that I was eating dried blood... The rest was great though. And I am happy I tried the infamous Irish Black Pudding.
After four days in Galway, we decided to bus it down to Dingle, an even smaller town set on the coast with a beautiful back-drop of grassy hills. We spent two nights in a cozy bed and breakfast, and two nights in a hostel, 15 minutes walk from town. We delved further into the traditional Irish music by night, and walked, hiked, and biked our way through Dingle and the Peninsula by day. It was the perfect place to relax and enjoy the quieter side of Ireland. Our 40km bike ride around the Dingle Peninsula was a major highlight. The day started out cloudy, but slowly the sun peeked out and decided to stay. We took our time biking along, stopping at some of the cute cafes, pottery shops, and amazing viewpoints along the way. It didn't start raining until we were ten minutes from Dingle. We made it to a pub just in time.
We left Ireland extremely pleased with our experiences. The food, the pubs, the locals. It was a comfortable and relaxing country to travel. The vibrant green, sheep-filled pastures will always be picture-perfect in our minds. Ahh and the sun we got...we were kissing Mother Nature right on the lips for the weather she gave us. Luck of the Irish??
Now, I'm sitting in Allora. This old lady has been our home for the past 5 nights in Iceland. She's a dark blue, 1995 Toyota Corolla. With the back seats folded, front seats pushed up, we've created a perfect home in the back.
A&C's adventure is coming to a close, and our emotions are running high. Our excitement to see everyone is building, but there is a form of anxiety that comes with. What will it be like to settle back into life in GP? Our mixed emotions have really got us reminiscing about these last 6 months around the world. The people we have met, the crazy and adventurous things we have seen and done, the lessons we have learned, and the outlook on life we have both created along the way.
It's been a wild ride. Four more days to go.
With love,
A&C
Upon arrival into the gloriously green country of Ireland, our expectation of the country and the people in it was met instantly. An oddly-light misty rain greeted us, and the reply we got when asking a stranger about the bus whereabouts was "I haven't a clue!" accompanied by a huge, friendly grin. Minutes later we located said bus. After a brief discussion about the weather and where we needed to go with the driver, we were comfortably in our seats.
Ahh, the ease of an English-speaking country.
Our first stop was Dublin, with it's colorfully jam-packed streets and big-city feel. After settling in to our hostel, we threw ourselves into the mass of locals and tourists alike to explore. We hadn't even walked for ten minutes before hearing the various street performers playing and singing their hearts out to some traditional Irish tunes. We even passed by a little man dressed as a leprechaun...yep, that happened.
After getting some food and a coffee at a cute cafe, we spent a bit more time roaming the streets before heading back to our hostel. We had a small rest before deciding it was Guinness time. It's not hard to find a pub in Ireland, so we learnt to choose by music. We'd also heard lots about a big pub called Temple Bar, so we walked there to check it out. The pub itself was pretty cool, amd even though it's huge it was packed with people. The live band was unreal. Two guys absolutely-I'm going to be extremely Canadian here-GIVIN' ER on a banjo and guitar. Everyone was clapping and singing along. We were happily drinking our Guinness and relishing in the rowdier side of Pub Life in Ireland.
After our short stop in Dublin, we made our way south to Galway. A smaller city set on the coast, Galway was amazing for it's food and drink choices. One favorite of mine was Cupan Tae. A small and intimate traditional tea house with a simple, but delicious food menu. The tea choices were no bore, let me tell you! We could have sat for days trying to decide. Once you do finally make your choice, you are served your tea in the cutest teapot imaginable. Add some homemade goodies on top of that...heaven. Another great food stop was McDonaghs, where we tried the famous fish and chips. Mmm, perfect for a night of beer drinking. Speaking of drinking, the night scene was very alive! Girls in sky-high heels and wedges and guys in their track pants rule the streets. Shouting, dancing, and drinking their way from pub to pub. If watching that isn't entertaining enough you have a wide array of live-music to choose from. From the streets to the pubs, men and women play everything from Sum 41 hits to Galway Girl (Ps I Love You, anyone?). It makes for a great night out.
We spent a day on a tour of Burren and the Cliffs of Moher. Weather was extremely good to us, with the sun out and the sky clear. 650 ft high, 8 km long, the cliffs are quite spectacular. My camera was busy ;)
We met one old man we'll never forget...Andrew and I were walking along the ocean, and on our way back into town there was a 5 foot-nothin' man clad in wool and thick black-rimmed glasses, sitting on a bench not far from us. He struck up a conversation, and after about 20 minutes of chatting, we had barely understood a word! Andrew got the bits about salmon coming into the harbor, and how they are building a temporary bridge for the summer festivals(I'm pretty sure he called it "craziness"). At one point I brought up how great the history throughout Europe is, his reply? "Aggh, yeeah, the stone age and all that craic". Hilarious. His lack of teeth and strong accent made for an interesting chat. Never-the-less, his friendly manner made our day, "Ahh, I'm sure I'll be seein' yees again".
On a rainy day, I convinced Andrew to come to Bikram Yoga with me. An hour and a half of yoga in the hot room was enough to almost kill us! The good thing is, as we were readying our umbrellas to walk home in the rain, a guy from the class offered us a ride. We happily accepted, and after chatting during the drive we decided to meet for a drink later. After a much-needed shower we met up with Brian (a local from Galway) and his girlfriend Amy (from Wisconsin) in a quirky family-owned pub full, from floor to roof, with artifacts the family has been collecting since the 1800's. We spent the evening pub-hopping and chatting away. At the end of the night Brian and Amy invited us to stay with them. Their house is just outside of Galway, over-looking an old castle and farmers fields. We had such a good time staying with these two. They cooked great meals, Brian sang and played guitar for us, and we all snuggled in by the fire in the evening. It was so homey and comfortable. I cant tell you how nice it was to wake up to tea and crepes in the morning! Amy, you are a gem. They showed us around Galway some more (Brian is actually the one who introduced us to Cupan Tae, McDonaghs, and more great restaurants), from the busy streets, to the harbor.
Our last morning Amy cooked us a traditional Irish breakfast, complete with Black Pudding. They call it the Farmers breakfast. The array of meats and sausages will keep you full until supper! Andrew loved it all, especially the lemon-tasting sausages. Mentally, I, being Miss Picky, didn't enjoy the Black Pudding. As far as taste goes, it was quite salty, but I couldn't help thinking that I was eating dried blood... The rest was great though. And I am happy I tried the infamous Irish Black Pudding.
After four days in Galway, we decided to bus it down to Dingle, an even smaller town set on the coast with a beautiful back-drop of grassy hills. We spent two nights in a cozy bed and breakfast, and two nights in a hostel, 15 minutes walk from town. We delved further into the traditional Irish music by night, and walked, hiked, and biked our way through Dingle and the Peninsula by day. It was the perfect place to relax and enjoy the quieter side of Ireland. Our 40km bike ride around the Dingle Peninsula was a major highlight. The day started out cloudy, but slowly the sun peeked out and decided to stay. We took our time biking along, stopping at some of the cute cafes, pottery shops, and amazing viewpoints along the way. It didn't start raining until we were ten minutes from Dingle. We made it to a pub just in time.
We left Ireland extremely pleased with our experiences. The food, the pubs, the locals. It was a comfortable and relaxing country to travel. The vibrant green, sheep-filled pastures will always be picture-perfect in our minds. Ahh and the sun we got...we were kissing Mother Nature right on the lips for the weather she gave us. Luck of the Irish??
Now, I'm sitting in Allora. This old lady has been our home for the past 5 nights in Iceland. She's a dark blue, 1995 Toyota Corolla. With the back seats folded, front seats pushed up, we've created a perfect home in the back.
A&C's adventure is coming to a close, and our emotions are running high. Our excitement to see everyone is building, but there is a form of anxiety that comes with. What will it be like to settle back into life in GP? Our mixed emotions have really got us reminiscing about these last 6 months around the world. The people we have met, the crazy and adventurous things we have seen and done, the lessons we have learned, and the outlook on life we have both created along the way.
It's been a wild ride. Four more days to go.
With love,
A&C
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Brugge: Beer & Bike Rides
Hello!
After a sad goodbye in Holland, we were off to Belgium. To be honest, I wasn't even sure what the language was in Brugge (answer: Flemish, closely related to Dutch) What excited us most, was that we were meeting up with friends from home. Gerry and Ellen Marcotte have been friends with Andrew's parent for years. They happened to be on a 5 week trip in Europe, so we kept in touch, making a plan to meet at some point in our travels.
We decided on Brugge, and spent two nights exploring the small medieval town, testing out beer, and cycling away the calories the next day ;)
After a few emails back and forth, we agreed to meet in the main sunny square of Brugge. After a quick walk around, we hadn't found our fellow Grande Prairiens, but minutes later, Ellen spotted us with our noses stuck in a map. Tourists much??
First on order? Belgium beer!
We headed to 'T Brugs Beertje, a hole-in-the-wall type pub (aren't they all?) with a ridiculously large beer selection. The guys tried some local brew, while us ladies went for the fruit beer. Thirst-quenching!! Our stomachs were talking to us, so we went in search for a suitable restaurant after finishing our pint. Gerry and Ellen treated us to a wonderful meal, and we spent the rest of the evening walking around Brugge. It's quite pretty, with old castle-like buildings, canals filled with swans. Narrow side-streets. Along the streets, you'll find lace and chocolate shops. Restaurants and bars. We walked down the super narrow street that was once the Red Light District of Brugge. Not overly exciting. Unless of course, you like looking through the windows of Chocolate Shops like I do ;)
The next day we decided to rent bikes and head to the coast. We had a quick breakfast and then stopped at the main square where the Wednesday Food Market was set up. It was the perfect spot to get some picnic supplies. It was also a perfect spot to try some belgium waffles! Deeelish.
It was a beautiful day. We rode past farms, small towns, the beach. We stopped for our picnic lunch at the Zeebrugge harbor, a coffee on the coast, and later, a beer in the small village of Damme. We biked our sore butts back to Brugge in time for another beer...I mean dinner!
We headed to another pub called De Garre, where we tried their locally brewed beer that you won't find anywhere else.
After another good meal, we went to Gerry and Ellen's hotel for one last drink before parting ways.
It was so good to see people we know from home. It definitely reminded us how much we miss everyone. Thank you so much for taking care of us for a couple days Gerry and Ellen! We so appreciate it. We hope the rest of your Euro trip went well, and we will be seeing you back in Grande Prairie!
After Brugge, we took a bus to the Brussels airport and hopped on a plane to Dublin!
That's next,
A&C
After a sad goodbye in Holland, we were off to Belgium. To be honest, I wasn't even sure what the language was in Brugge (answer: Flemish, closely related to Dutch) What excited us most, was that we were meeting up with friends from home. Gerry and Ellen Marcotte have been friends with Andrew's parent for years. They happened to be on a 5 week trip in Europe, so we kept in touch, making a plan to meet at some point in our travels.
We decided on Brugge, and spent two nights exploring the small medieval town, testing out beer, and cycling away the calories the next day ;)
After a few emails back and forth, we agreed to meet in the main sunny square of Brugge. After a quick walk around, we hadn't found our fellow Grande Prairiens, but minutes later, Ellen spotted us with our noses stuck in a map. Tourists much??
First on order? Belgium beer!
We headed to 'T Brugs Beertje, a hole-in-the-wall type pub (aren't they all?) with a ridiculously large beer selection. The guys tried some local brew, while us ladies went for the fruit beer. Thirst-quenching!! Our stomachs were talking to us, so we went in search for a suitable restaurant after finishing our pint. Gerry and Ellen treated us to a wonderful meal, and we spent the rest of the evening walking around Brugge. It's quite pretty, with old castle-like buildings, canals filled with swans. Narrow side-streets. Along the streets, you'll find lace and chocolate shops. Restaurants and bars. We walked down the super narrow street that was once the Red Light District of Brugge. Not overly exciting. Unless of course, you like looking through the windows of Chocolate Shops like I do ;)
The next day we decided to rent bikes and head to the coast. We had a quick breakfast and then stopped at the main square where the Wednesday Food Market was set up. It was the perfect spot to get some picnic supplies. It was also a perfect spot to try some belgium waffles! Deeelish.
It was a beautiful day. We rode past farms, small towns, the beach. We stopped for our picnic lunch at the Zeebrugge harbor, a coffee on the coast, and later, a beer in the small village of Damme. We biked our sore butts back to Brugge in time for another beer...I mean dinner!
We headed to another pub called De Garre, where we tried their locally brewed beer that you won't find anywhere else.
After another good meal, we went to Gerry and Ellen's hotel for one last drink before parting ways.
It was so good to see people we know from home. It definitely reminded us how much we miss everyone. Thank you so much for taking care of us for a couple days Gerry and Ellen! We so appreciate it. We hope the rest of your Euro trip went well, and we will be seeing you back in Grande Prairie!
After Brugge, we took a bus to the Brussels airport and hopped on a plane to Dublin!
That's next,
A&C
Holland: Here You Go Weird
Hello All!
Andrew and I had the pleasure of spending 3 nights in a cozy home/Bed and Breakfast in the small town of Oude Nredorp. Only a 40 minute drive from Amsterdam, this place looks exactly as I would have pictured the countryside of Holland to look. Grassy pastures home to grazing sheep and cows. Narrow canals running along the quiet roads. Cute colonial or barn-style houses. Sounds quaint, doesn't it? Aside from the landscape, the people are also phenomenal. I can say in complete confidence that the Dutch are the friendliest lot we have met thus far. Above ones interest in us foreigners, was the ability to communicate. Dutch people are extremely well-spoken in English (as I'm sure they are in Dutch, but seeing as I haven't a clue what they are saying...). Understandably so, being that they are the only Dutch-speaking country. Still, I was so impressed at the range of English vocab held by many.
You may be wondering how we found ourselves in Oude Nredorp. Trust me, I couldn't have told you where to find it, and I still can't pronounce it correctly.
While traveling SE Asia, we met Maarten, a lively and thoughtful Dutch guy on a world adventure of his own. We first met in the rice fields of Batad in the Philippines, and then by chance, again in Chiang Mai. We enjoyed Maarten's company so much, so we knew a trip to the Netherlands was a must.
We kept in touch, and closer to our date of arrival Maarten informed us that his girlfriends (Sabine) parents (Kees and Gerda) ran a Bed and Breakfast out of their home, and had offered us to stay free of charge. We were elated. Our hope was to see the countryside of Holland, and here we were being offered a home in the heart of it all. What struck us most, was the willingness that family had to help us out in any way they could. Maarten even took the day off work, and him and Sabine drove us around and kept us company for our three days there.
Our first evening in Oude Nredorop, Sabine and Maarten cooked us a simple, traditional Dutch meal. Mashed potato mixed with some kind of shredded lettuce-Im not sure the of the English word, it was a bit bitter in taste on it's own-slices of sausage, all topped with gravy. It was delicious. Really though, you can't beat the comfort of mashed potatoes and hot gravy. We finished the evening with Maarten, Sabine, and her parents Kees and Gerda, chatting and drinking wine. We felt so at home. Something about those Dutchies really makes you feel uninhibited and relaxed. I never felt like I might do something weird or out of order.
Although the language is completely foreign, there was still that sense of familiarity. The farms, just smaller. The wind. The cooking and eating of meals together. It's a very kind and open-minded country.
After a wonderful sleep, we woke up to a big breakfast. My favorite? The dark bread with Dutch Peanut Butter (yes, it's better!) and fresh strawberries. Mmmm.
After breakfast we joined in on a local 14km walk along the Omringdijk. A Dijk is a man-made hill, once used as a barrier to keep the water from flooding the land. The Dijk runs for 126km and is particularly popular with cyclers. The organized walk was a huge turn out, with at least 100 people taking part. I am pretty sure we were the only non-Dutch people there. Being the friendly crowd they are, we had several "What do you think about Holland??" type questions come our way.
It was a lovely, windy day, and the walk was an absolute perfect way to see Holland. Looking back, I can see that I was too busy looking and enjoying the scenery to take pictures. I have very few from that day! Let's hope my memory serves me long and well.
Over halfway, there is a river separating the Dijk. The whole point of the walk was to fundraise for the bridge that is going to be built to connect the two Dijks. For the time being, they had boats and even a crane to take people over. It was quite the ordeal. Everyone wanted to take the crane, the operator was getting cranky at the mass amounts of people, and the organizers were getting stressed. So, on the boat we go! It didn't make any difference to us. We Canadians were just happy to be there, haha. On the other side we ate our sandwiches, listened to the local choir, the speeches. The bridge architect spoke, the organizers. It was really cool to be part of such a local fundraiser. The only words I caught throughout the entire thing? Dank u well!!
That evening Andrew and I went with Maarten to meet his father Gerret in their hometown, Heerhugowaard (get my post title now?? Hehe). Gerret is a man you take to instantly. He greeted us with a big smile, and twinkling eyes.
Maarten, we can see where you get your kind heart from! Thank you for introducing us to your father.
While Garret started dinner, he refused to let us do anything but sit in the garden and relax. Shortly after, we were spoiled with a pannekoeke feast!! Dutch pancakes with cheese, bacon, apples and cinnamon. Complete with stroop-the very delicious Dutch syrup. Ahh, my mouth waters at the thought.
Later on we met up with Sabine and their friends to watch the football game. We ended up at their friend Cheryl's house, where Andrew swapped stories with her Father, chatting about their work similarities and love for motorbikes. Cheryl's Mom marveled at the fact that I packed for six months in a backpack. I'm still not sure how I did it either...
The end of the evening came, we said our goodbyes and headed home for one of those head-hits-the-pillow-and-your-asleep kinda nights.
The next morning...Amsterdam!
Our first task was to send a box home. 14kg, and a hefty price later... Thankfully, my Mom has reported back to me that the "heavy son-of-a-gun" has arrived in one un-opened piece and is now sitting in my bedroom, awaiting my arrival.
Next, we went searching for a tent. Several outdoor stores later, we found ourselves a lovely 3-Man that will be our luxurious home in Iceland.
Once we got the "work" stuff out of the way we stopped at a Snack Bar to order our list of Dutch fast-food that Frederike had advised us to try. I'm sure some of you have seen Pulp Fiction? There is a scene where Vincent and Jules are talking about Europe...
"You know what they put on French fries in Holland instead of Ketchup?...Mayonnaise...I've seen em do it, man. They drown em in that sh*t." --Vincent
Well, it's true! And it doesn't taste too bad either.
After our fill of patatje, we continued on our tour of Amsterdam. Dam Square was full of casual, chatting students. Bicycles dominate the streets, canals circle the city. The smell of smoke oozes onto the streets outside of the many coffee shops. We walked the infamous red-light district;witnessed the (legal) prostitutes selling themselves in the windows. It was quite strange to sit on a bench eating ice-cream, while a man casually strolled by the windows, made his pick, and headed inside. Only in Amsterdam.
That evening we had ordered in pizza, snuggled in the living room and watched (part of) a movie. The next morning, unfortunately, we were off.
There are many reasons we want to go back to the Netherlands. The tulips in April. Kayaking down the canals in the summer. Skating the canals in the (very lucky) winter when they decide to freeze. Lastly, most importantly, to visit our wonderful Dutchies we've come to love so much. Sabine, your family was unbelievably accommodating and welcoming. You have such a contagious smile, and we will miss you dearly. Maarten, we are so grateful that you opened up your life to us. We can't wait to see what the future holds for you and Sabine. You two are a couple we could easily spend time with, and it's such a pity we are countries apart. Dank u well for the tour of the quirky and open-minded Amsterdam. Dank u well even MORE for the time spent in both your homes. We'll be seeing you. xx
Next post...Bruges, Belgium!
Doei!
A&C
Andrew and I had the pleasure of spending 3 nights in a cozy home/Bed and Breakfast in the small town of Oude Nredorp. Only a 40 minute drive from Amsterdam, this place looks exactly as I would have pictured the countryside of Holland to look. Grassy pastures home to grazing sheep and cows. Narrow canals running along the quiet roads. Cute colonial or barn-style houses. Sounds quaint, doesn't it? Aside from the landscape, the people are also phenomenal. I can say in complete confidence that the Dutch are the friendliest lot we have met thus far. Above ones interest in us foreigners, was the ability to communicate. Dutch people are extremely well-spoken in English (as I'm sure they are in Dutch, but seeing as I haven't a clue what they are saying...). Understandably so, being that they are the only Dutch-speaking country. Still, I was so impressed at the range of English vocab held by many.
You may be wondering how we found ourselves in Oude Nredorp. Trust me, I couldn't have told you where to find it, and I still can't pronounce it correctly.
While traveling SE Asia, we met Maarten, a lively and thoughtful Dutch guy on a world adventure of his own. We first met in the rice fields of Batad in the Philippines, and then by chance, again in Chiang Mai. We enjoyed Maarten's company so much, so we knew a trip to the Netherlands was a must.
We kept in touch, and closer to our date of arrival Maarten informed us that his girlfriends (Sabine) parents (Kees and Gerda) ran a Bed and Breakfast out of their home, and had offered us to stay free of charge. We were elated. Our hope was to see the countryside of Holland, and here we were being offered a home in the heart of it all. What struck us most, was the willingness that family had to help us out in any way they could. Maarten even took the day off work, and him and Sabine drove us around and kept us company for our three days there.
Our first evening in Oude Nredorop, Sabine and Maarten cooked us a simple, traditional Dutch meal. Mashed potato mixed with some kind of shredded lettuce-Im not sure the of the English word, it was a bit bitter in taste on it's own-slices of sausage, all topped with gravy. It was delicious. Really though, you can't beat the comfort of mashed potatoes and hot gravy. We finished the evening with Maarten, Sabine, and her parents Kees and Gerda, chatting and drinking wine. We felt so at home. Something about those Dutchies really makes you feel uninhibited and relaxed. I never felt like I might do something weird or out of order.
Although the language is completely foreign, there was still that sense of familiarity. The farms, just smaller. The wind. The cooking and eating of meals together. It's a very kind and open-minded country.
After a wonderful sleep, we woke up to a big breakfast. My favorite? The dark bread with Dutch Peanut Butter (yes, it's better!) and fresh strawberries. Mmmm.
After breakfast we joined in on a local 14km walk along the Omringdijk. A Dijk is a man-made hill, once used as a barrier to keep the water from flooding the land. The Dijk runs for 126km and is particularly popular with cyclers. The organized walk was a huge turn out, with at least 100 people taking part. I am pretty sure we were the only non-Dutch people there. Being the friendly crowd they are, we had several "What do you think about Holland??" type questions come our way.
It was a lovely, windy day, and the walk was an absolute perfect way to see Holland. Looking back, I can see that I was too busy looking and enjoying the scenery to take pictures. I have very few from that day! Let's hope my memory serves me long and well.
Over halfway, there is a river separating the Dijk. The whole point of the walk was to fundraise for the bridge that is going to be built to connect the two Dijks. For the time being, they had boats and even a crane to take people over. It was quite the ordeal. Everyone wanted to take the crane, the operator was getting cranky at the mass amounts of people, and the organizers were getting stressed. So, on the boat we go! It didn't make any difference to us. We Canadians were just happy to be there, haha. On the other side we ate our sandwiches, listened to the local choir, the speeches. The bridge architect spoke, the organizers. It was really cool to be part of such a local fundraiser. The only words I caught throughout the entire thing? Dank u well!!
That evening Andrew and I went with Maarten to meet his father Gerret in their hometown, Heerhugowaard (get my post title now?? Hehe). Gerret is a man you take to instantly. He greeted us with a big smile, and twinkling eyes.
Maarten, we can see where you get your kind heart from! Thank you for introducing us to your father.
While Garret started dinner, he refused to let us do anything but sit in the garden and relax. Shortly after, we were spoiled with a pannekoeke feast!! Dutch pancakes with cheese, bacon, apples and cinnamon. Complete with stroop-the very delicious Dutch syrup. Ahh, my mouth waters at the thought.
Later on we met up with Sabine and their friends to watch the football game. We ended up at their friend Cheryl's house, where Andrew swapped stories with her Father, chatting about their work similarities and love for motorbikes. Cheryl's Mom marveled at the fact that I packed for six months in a backpack. I'm still not sure how I did it either...
The end of the evening came, we said our goodbyes and headed home for one of those head-hits-the-pillow-and-your-asleep kinda nights.
The next morning...Amsterdam!
Our first task was to send a box home. 14kg, and a hefty price later... Thankfully, my Mom has reported back to me that the "heavy son-of-a-gun" has arrived in one un-opened piece and is now sitting in my bedroom, awaiting my arrival.
Next, we went searching for a tent. Several outdoor stores later, we found ourselves a lovely 3-Man that will be our luxurious home in Iceland.
Once we got the "work" stuff out of the way we stopped at a Snack Bar to order our list of Dutch fast-food that Frederike had advised us to try. I'm sure some of you have seen Pulp Fiction? There is a scene where Vincent and Jules are talking about Europe...
"You know what they put on French fries in Holland instead of Ketchup?...Mayonnaise...I've seen em do it, man. They drown em in that sh*t." --Vincent
Well, it's true! And it doesn't taste too bad either.
After our fill of patatje, we continued on our tour of Amsterdam. Dam Square was full of casual, chatting students. Bicycles dominate the streets, canals circle the city. The smell of smoke oozes onto the streets outside of the many coffee shops. We walked the infamous red-light district;witnessed the (legal) prostitutes selling themselves in the windows. It was quite strange to sit on a bench eating ice-cream, while a man casually strolled by the windows, made his pick, and headed inside. Only in Amsterdam.
That evening we had ordered in pizza, snuggled in the living room and watched (part of) a movie. The next morning, unfortunately, we were off.
There are many reasons we want to go back to the Netherlands. The tulips in April. Kayaking down the canals in the summer. Skating the canals in the (very lucky) winter when they decide to freeze. Lastly, most importantly, to visit our wonderful Dutchies we've come to love so much. Sabine, your family was unbelievably accommodating and welcoming. You have such a contagious smile, and we will miss you dearly. Maarten, we are so grateful that you opened up your life to us. We can't wait to see what the future holds for you and Sabine. You two are a couple we could easily spend time with, and it's such a pity we are countries apart. Dank u well for the tour of the quirky and open-minded Amsterdam. Dank u well even MORE for the time spent in both your homes. We'll be seeing you. xx
Next post...Bruges, Belgium!
Doei!
A&C
Monday, June 25, 2012
Two Little Moose & One French Doughnut do Paris
Bonjour!
Landing in Paris, we were greeted by our favorite Frenchman, Camille. This genuine, down to earth guy was part of our "Spicy" crew at SpicyThai hostel in Chiang Mai. Originally, we planned at least four days in Paris-if you're going to do it, do it right...right? Well, after the many other additions to our list of cities to visit, we realized we'd left only two nights for Paris. It wasn't near enough to see and do everything one may normally do on a Paris trip, but we did what we had looked most forward to-spending time with a friend.
Camille opened up his flat to us, even giving up his bedroom. And I must say, having a French-speaking local with us was incredible! Our first day, we stopped for a nice lunch (think-steak, sausage, duck) paired with a bottle of Rosé. Magnifique. After lunch, Camille played tour guide(and a good job at that!) and showed us around the enchanting city of Paris. It was easy to see how one would fall in love with this city. Romance, history, fashion. Croissants and fresh baguettes. Espresso, espresso, espresso. The streets are a hustle bustle mass of well-dressed men and women, walking under the ever-present cloud of smoke. The sidewalks are covered in small round tables, holding even smaller cups of espresso. We've both actually really started to enjoy our espresso. We've ordered several of these energy-jolters since being in Europe. With that said, you can't beat a BIG coffee. A drink-till-it's-afternoon sized coffee. Ahh Grande Skinny Vanilla Lattes, I'll never stop loving you...
Enough about coffee.
The three of us checked out the Notre-Dame and the gardens around the Louvre, marveled at the shelves of english books stuffed into the cozy little Shakespeare book store (the oldest British book store in Paris) and walked along the Pont de l’Archevêché, or the "Love Bridge"-named this because people leave locks on the chain siding of the bridge, symbolizing their love for each other.
That night we went to a small bar to watch a "football" game. The Euro cup is going on right now, so everywhere you go, there is a game playing.
We had an early celebration for Andrew's 23rd birthday...let's just say the European beer kicked his butt, and he may have left a little treat under the Eiffel tower the next day...You can ask him for the story.
We had a delicious breakfast of French pastries the next morning. Croissants, pain au chocolat, complete with an espresso.
After breaky, we got ourselves ready to climb the Eiffel tower! First, we had a little picnic in a park nearby, then we bought our tickets and made our way up. After enjoying the view of Paris, we went to Les Buttes Chaumont, a beautiful park with a huge manmade stone hill, complete with a waterfall and creek. Camille ran to a nearby bakery for some birthday cake, and we fought with the wind to light the candles. Once we got a few to stay lit, Andy made a wish and-with the help of the wind-blew them out.
HAPPY 23rd BIRTHDAY ANDREW!!! (on June 15th)
We had a nice dinner and spent the evening relaxing at Camille's. I think we were all still feeling the effects from the night before, so the chill-out time was needed.
After a good sleep, we got up to enjoy our last half-day in Paris. We went and seen the Sacré-Coeur Church, which is also the highest geographical point of Paris. We walked around Montmartre, an area full of tourists, as it's dubbed to be the "typical" Paris. Tons of shops and restaurants line the narrow cobblestone streets. We had lunch with Camille and his friend, and then they sent us off at the train station.
Camille, merci beaucoup for sharing your city with us. Paris has an enchanting air to it. I loved the food, the fashion. Andrew loved hanging out at the local pub and watching football with the boys. It was a great, although quick, 2 1/2 days. We will miss our French doughnut, so Camille, don't wait too long before coming to Canada. Your little moose will need a little French in our lives again soon.
The train from Paris took us to Amsterdam Centraal, where another SE Asia friend was waiting for us. I'll write about our amazing 3 nights in the Netherlands soon!
Love to all,
xx A&C
Landing in Paris, we were greeted by our favorite Frenchman, Camille. This genuine, down to earth guy was part of our "Spicy" crew at SpicyThai hostel in Chiang Mai. Originally, we planned at least four days in Paris-if you're going to do it, do it right...right? Well, after the many other additions to our list of cities to visit, we realized we'd left only two nights for Paris. It wasn't near enough to see and do everything one may normally do on a Paris trip, but we did what we had looked most forward to-spending time with a friend.
Camille opened up his flat to us, even giving up his bedroom. And I must say, having a French-speaking local with us was incredible! Our first day, we stopped for a nice lunch (think-steak, sausage, duck) paired with a bottle of Rosé. Magnifique. After lunch, Camille played tour guide(and a good job at that!) and showed us around the enchanting city of Paris. It was easy to see how one would fall in love with this city. Romance, history, fashion. Croissants and fresh baguettes. Espresso, espresso, espresso. The streets are a hustle bustle mass of well-dressed men and women, walking under the ever-present cloud of smoke. The sidewalks are covered in small round tables, holding even smaller cups of espresso. We've both actually really started to enjoy our espresso. We've ordered several of these energy-jolters since being in Europe. With that said, you can't beat a BIG coffee. A drink-till-it's-afternoon sized coffee. Ahh Grande Skinny Vanilla Lattes, I'll never stop loving you...
Enough about coffee.
The three of us checked out the Notre-Dame and the gardens around the Louvre, marveled at the shelves of english books stuffed into the cozy little Shakespeare book store (the oldest British book store in Paris) and walked along the Pont de l’Archevêché, or the "Love Bridge"-named this because people leave locks on the chain siding of the bridge, symbolizing their love for each other.
That night we went to a small bar to watch a "football" game. The Euro cup is going on right now, so everywhere you go, there is a game playing.
We had an early celebration for Andrew's 23rd birthday...let's just say the European beer kicked his butt, and he may have left a little treat under the Eiffel tower the next day...You can ask him for the story.
We had a delicious breakfast of French pastries the next morning. Croissants, pain au chocolat, complete with an espresso.
After breaky, we got ourselves ready to climb the Eiffel tower! First, we had a little picnic in a park nearby, then we bought our tickets and made our way up. After enjoying the view of Paris, we went to Les Buttes Chaumont, a beautiful park with a huge manmade stone hill, complete with a waterfall and creek. Camille ran to a nearby bakery for some birthday cake, and we fought with the wind to light the candles. Once we got a few to stay lit, Andy made a wish and-with the help of the wind-blew them out.
HAPPY 23rd BIRTHDAY ANDREW!!! (on June 15th)
We had a nice dinner and spent the evening relaxing at Camille's. I think we were all still feeling the effects from the night before, so the chill-out time was needed.
After a good sleep, we got up to enjoy our last half-day in Paris. We went and seen the Sacré-Coeur Church, which is also the highest geographical point of Paris. We walked around Montmartre, an area full of tourists, as it's dubbed to be the "typical" Paris. Tons of shops and restaurants line the narrow cobblestone streets. We had lunch with Camille and his friend, and then they sent us off at the train station.
Camille, merci beaucoup for sharing your city with us. Paris has an enchanting air to it. I loved the food, the fashion. Andrew loved hanging out at the local pub and watching football with the boys. It was a great, although quick, 2 1/2 days. We will miss our French doughnut, so Camille, don't wait too long before coming to Canada. Your little moose will need a little French in our lives again soon.
The train from Paris took us to Amsterdam Centraal, where another SE Asia friend was waiting for us. I'll write about our amazing 3 nights in the Netherlands soon!
Love to all,
xx A&C
Friday, June 22, 2012
Spain: Nothing in Life is Free...Except for Tapas in Granada!
Ola!
After a great weekend in Freiburg we were on our own again, this time, in the Spanish capital of Europe...Spain! Hellooo Sangria.
Our first stop was Barcelona, a city full of eye-candy for architecture lovers of all kinds. We were constantly craning our necks to see structure after structure. From buildings with giant eye-ball looking globes attached, to over-sized cartoon lobsters-the streets of Barcelona are anything but boring.
We wondered up and down the tourist-filled streets, relished in the sun beaming down in the grassy parks, and admired the wonderful and playful works of Gaudi. We got a good taste of his art by touring Guell Park and then walking around the Sacred Familia Church. Everything has a cartoon-ish feel to it, but it's nothing short of magnificent. The church is especially unique and breath-taking.
We took a day to tour around the National Art Museum and Olympic Stadium area. We could just imagine what the atmosphere would be like during the games-the sweat, blood, and tears-amazing!
We seen even more strange and intriguing art, deciding we needed more eyes to really take everything in.
Evenings were spent sipping on sangria in the many sidewalk restaurants and walking through the city, marveling at the lit up fountains and buildings.
Spain really comes alive at night. The culture's way of having a siesta in the afternoon is seriously necessary if you want to keep up once that sun goes down!
After getting our fill of Barcelona ,we decided to head south to Granada. What a good decision...we loved Granada! Cozy, laid-back, and beautiful. The best part? Free Tapas!! Every restaurant in Granada serves free finger food with every drink-whether it be beer, sangria, or just a cola. Andrew was flabbergasted.
Our hostel was in an area full of Arabic-type shops, Tapa Bars, and little streets to get lost in.
We took advantage of the quiet mornings by running in the parks around the Alhambra.
We met an extremely sweet couple, Josh and Erica, staying in our dorm. We spent the evening swapping stories with these two, both from Pennsylvania. We had dinner at the hostel and then walked around the lit up streets of Granada, making our way up to the San Nicolas for a fantastic view of the city.
Andrew had decided one of the things he wanted to do while in Spain was see a real, traditional Spanish bull fight. For anyone as dense as I...a bull fight is not two bulls fighting each other. Classic mix-up...right? Anyways, we made it a priority!
During the day we toured around the Alhambra Gardens and Palaces. Once evening came we hopped on the city bus to the Bull Ring! Talk about local experience at it's finest. The streets were lined with cars, and flooded with people. Vendors were selling white flags, cushions, and various "torro" paraphernalia. We've been told that this is the last year that Spain will be having the bull fights; I can't confirm that as being entirely true, but there were crowds of protesters outside of the arena. It is definitely cruel on the animals side of things, even if the Spanish do eat the meat. Although, it's hard for me to construct an opinion on a tradition that has been in the Spanish culture for years and years. Andrew compared the atmosphere to that of a play-off hockey game. It was funny, because during their intermission, EVERYONE pulled out beers or bottles of wine, plastic cups, and sandwiches. Literally, in unison. We may have been the only weirdos without a tinfoil-covered sandwich and beverage. Next time we'll google what to bring ;)
With four nights left, we decided to make our way to Spain's capital, Madrid.
Two minutes walk from the Plaza del Sol sat our pleasant little gem of a hostel. More of a hotel, we had our own cozy room, with just enough room for the bed and a couple chairs. But, we were smitten. One wall was made out of old brick, looking as if it used to be the outside of the building. We had our own little balcony-barely fitting our two chairs, but lovely none-the-less. We sat and listened to the sounds of Madrid.
This city isn't a place that you are going to find that one big "wonder". The fact that it is so full of life makes it a go-to. Madrid didn't need a coliseum, Eiffel tower, or some huge poplar cathedral. It was full of street art, fashion, parks, and busy squares. Good restaurants, live music and markets. We really just enjoyed getting up, going for a run in the parks, sitting outside a cafe for a drawn out coffee, and then exploring and people watching through Plaza del Sol and Plaza Mayor. I introduced Andrew to the Spanish delight, churros & chocolate. I first tried it while in Peru. Love at first sight. You can't beat the fresh, crispy-yet soft-churro, dipped into a cup of rich liquid chocolate.
We took a half-day trip to Toledo. A small, mysterious-looking historical city, only a 33 minute train ride from Madrid. It's narrow streets are hidden behind old castle walls that perch high atop the hills. We were lucky with the lack of big tour groups, as I've heard the small streets become quite crowded in high season. We got more of a "ghost town" experience out of Toledo.
After making our way back to Madrid, we packed up again to catch our flight to Paris! I was a wee bit excited. I'll post on our quick two nights with our friend Camille soon.
Love to all,
A&C
After a great weekend in Freiburg we were on our own again, this time, in the Spanish capital of Europe...Spain! Hellooo Sangria.
Our first stop was Barcelona, a city full of eye-candy for architecture lovers of all kinds. We were constantly craning our necks to see structure after structure. From buildings with giant eye-ball looking globes attached, to over-sized cartoon lobsters-the streets of Barcelona are anything but boring.
We wondered up and down the tourist-filled streets, relished in the sun beaming down in the grassy parks, and admired the wonderful and playful works of Gaudi. We got a good taste of his art by touring Guell Park and then walking around the Sacred Familia Church. Everything has a cartoon-ish feel to it, but it's nothing short of magnificent. The church is especially unique and breath-taking.
We took a day to tour around the National Art Museum and Olympic Stadium area. We could just imagine what the atmosphere would be like during the games-the sweat, blood, and tears-amazing!
We seen even more strange and intriguing art, deciding we needed more eyes to really take everything in.
Evenings were spent sipping on sangria in the many sidewalk restaurants and walking through the city, marveling at the lit up fountains and buildings.
Spain really comes alive at night. The culture's way of having a siesta in the afternoon is seriously necessary if you want to keep up once that sun goes down!
After getting our fill of Barcelona ,we decided to head south to Granada. What a good decision...we loved Granada! Cozy, laid-back, and beautiful. The best part? Free Tapas!! Every restaurant in Granada serves free finger food with every drink-whether it be beer, sangria, or just a cola. Andrew was flabbergasted.
Our hostel was in an area full of Arabic-type shops, Tapa Bars, and little streets to get lost in.
We took advantage of the quiet mornings by running in the parks around the Alhambra.
We met an extremely sweet couple, Josh and Erica, staying in our dorm. We spent the evening swapping stories with these two, both from Pennsylvania. We had dinner at the hostel and then walked around the lit up streets of Granada, making our way up to the San Nicolas for a fantastic view of the city.
Andrew had decided one of the things he wanted to do while in Spain was see a real, traditional Spanish bull fight. For anyone as dense as I...a bull fight is not two bulls fighting each other. Classic mix-up...right? Anyways, we made it a priority!
During the day we toured around the Alhambra Gardens and Palaces. Once evening came we hopped on the city bus to the Bull Ring! Talk about local experience at it's finest. The streets were lined with cars, and flooded with people. Vendors were selling white flags, cushions, and various "torro" paraphernalia. We've been told that this is the last year that Spain will be having the bull fights; I can't confirm that as being entirely true, but there were crowds of protesters outside of the arena. It is definitely cruel on the animals side of things, even if the Spanish do eat the meat. Although, it's hard for me to construct an opinion on a tradition that has been in the Spanish culture for years and years. Andrew compared the atmosphere to that of a play-off hockey game. It was funny, because during their intermission, EVERYONE pulled out beers or bottles of wine, plastic cups, and sandwiches. Literally, in unison. We may have been the only weirdos without a tinfoil-covered sandwich and beverage. Next time we'll google what to bring ;)
With four nights left, we decided to make our way to Spain's capital, Madrid.
Two minutes walk from the Plaza del Sol sat our pleasant little gem of a hostel. More of a hotel, we had our own cozy room, with just enough room for the bed and a couple chairs. But, we were smitten. One wall was made out of old brick, looking as if it used to be the outside of the building. We had our own little balcony-barely fitting our two chairs, but lovely none-the-less. We sat and listened to the sounds of Madrid.
This city isn't a place that you are going to find that one big "wonder". The fact that it is so full of life makes it a go-to. Madrid didn't need a coliseum, Eiffel tower, or some huge poplar cathedral. It was full of street art, fashion, parks, and busy squares. Good restaurants, live music and markets. We really just enjoyed getting up, going for a run in the parks, sitting outside a cafe for a drawn out coffee, and then exploring and people watching through Plaza del Sol and Plaza Mayor. I introduced Andrew to the Spanish delight, churros & chocolate. I first tried it while in Peru. Love at first sight. You can't beat the fresh, crispy-yet soft-churro, dipped into a cup of rich liquid chocolate.
We took a half-day trip to Toledo. A small, mysterious-looking historical city, only a 33 minute train ride from Madrid. It's narrow streets are hidden behind old castle walls that perch high atop the hills. We were lucky with the lack of big tour groups, as I've heard the small streets become quite crowded in high season. We got more of a "ghost town" experience out of Toledo.
After making our way back to Madrid, we packed up again to catch our flight to Paris! I was a wee bit excited. I'll post on our quick two nights with our friend Camille soon.
Love to all,
A&C
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Freiburg: Railay Round Two
Hallo!
Back in March, while Andrew and I were in Railay, Thailand, we met a kind and vivacious couple from Germany. Despite the slight language barrier, Oliver and Christina were extremely easy to get along with. We spent a couple of evenings with them, chatting over pizza about our trips and lives back home. We hadn't planned on traveling into Germany on this trip, but after meeting this couple, our minds were changed. So, after Switzerland, we took a quick train ride to Freiburg.
We were greeted with huge glowing smiles, just as we remembered them. After hugs, we dropped our bags off in their car and went for a walk around the city. Freiburg is really beautiful, and being surrounded by the Black Forest doesn't hurt either. After a bit of walking we stopped at a brewery for a bier(beer) and brezel(pretzel)! It was so nice to just sit back and catch up with each other.
Later, we made our way to Oli and Christina's home, a cute and tidy flat just outside of Freiburg. O & C have two sweet little girls completing their family. Thessie(6) and Anni(2 1/2) were with Grandma for the night, but we were greeted with a beautiful drawing and two very pink rooms-although once we met these little ladies, it didn't take long to realize Thessie was no girly-girl.
That night, we went and got our first taste of chicken schnitzel at an awesome local restaurant.
The next day, we put our "play clothes" on and drove to Europa Park-a huge theme park divided into "countries". We spent the day walking through Greece, riding roller-coasters in Iceland and Russia, and eating in a park in the UK. It was a really cool set-up for a theme park. All the countries had music, food and architecture to match the appropriate cultures. We watched a really good cirque-du-soleil type show, and dizzied ourselves on my favorite ride-the teacups! I felt like I was 6 years old again, back in Disneyland. It was Andrews first big theme park experience, and both our firsts on huge roller-coasters. I think we may become adrenaline junkies! The sometimes hour-long wait in line was SO worth the 4 minutes of thrill on the rides. Oli and Christina take their girls there on Sundays, but they said it was a nice change to go on the "big kid" rides. We were happy to join them :)
That evening, after Christina cooked us a delicious dinner, we dolled up and headed out for a night on the town. Being out with these two in Germany was really cool, as we had talked in Railey about visiting them, and how we would go to Europa Park and then have too many beers on the town--and we did just that! Talk about Deja Vu.
Sunday was what we like to call a hang-over day. We snuggled on the couch, watched movies and ate great food (our first taste of Raclette). Later in the day we finally got to meet the two cutest German girls on the planet. Thessie, a matter-of-fact 6 year old full of energy, and the more reserved Anni, with the biggest blue eyes, just like her Momma.
Thessie drug out the boxes of Lego, so we spent the afternoon building ships and helicopters under her (very strict) orders. Andrew definitely won best prize with his helicopter!
The next day Andrew and I spent the morning and early afternoon walking in and around the Black Forest-named this due to the dense population of pine trees. It was good to get some fresh air, and walking off the alcohol wasn't such a bad thing either.
Before leaving we spent a couple more hours playing with the girls. We built forts, played Play-Doh, and made puzzles. Every time something needed fixed on the fort, or anytime the girls wanted our attention, they yelled "Chessie!". It was close enough, and after realizing how quick I would respond, it became the word for everything. I'm sure Oliver and Christina are still having nightmares with "Chessie!" ringing in their ears.
It was yet another sad goodbye. The girls sent us off with stuffed animals and pictures, hugs, and some tears.
O & C, you two are so genuine and fun; you opened your home to us, and treated us like family. Your girls are very lucky to have such great parents, and you guys are just as lucky to have such wonderful daughters. We are so thankful for meeting you at that fire show in Railey. We hope to meet again soon. Give Anni and Thessie hugs for us, and tell them their Teddies are keeping us company :) xx
After goodbyes, Oliver drove us to Basel, where we caught our flight to Spain. In a (quick) ten days we toured Barcelona, Granada, Toledo, and Madrid. That's up next!
We are down to only three weeks left. Ah, how time flies. We most definitely have mixed emotions about our upcoming flight home, but there are no words to express how excited we are to spend some quality catch-up time with friends and family.
Until then,
xx A&C
Back in March, while Andrew and I were in Railay, Thailand, we met a kind and vivacious couple from Germany. Despite the slight language barrier, Oliver and Christina were extremely easy to get along with. We spent a couple of evenings with them, chatting over pizza about our trips and lives back home. We hadn't planned on traveling into Germany on this trip, but after meeting this couple, our minds were changed. So, after Switzerland, we took a quick train ride to Freiburg.
We were greeted with huge glowing smiles, just as we remembered them. After hugs, we dropped our bags off in their car and went for a walk around the city. Freiburg is really beautiful, and being surrounded by the Black Forest doesn't hurt either. After a bit of walking we stopped at a brewery for a bier(beer) and brezel(pretzel)! It was so nice to just sit back and catch up with each other.
Later, we made our way to Oli and Christina's home, a cute and tidy flat just outside of Freiburg. O & C have two sweet little girls completing their family. Thessie(6) and Anni(2 1/2) were with Grandma for the night, but we were greeted with a beautiful drawing and two very pink rooms-although once we met these little ladies, it didn't take long to realize Thessie was no girly-girl.
That night, we went and got our first taste of chicken schnitzel at an awesome local restaurant.
The next day, we put our "play clothes" on and drove to Europa Park-a huge theme park divided into "countries". We spent the day walking through Greece, riding roller-coasters in Iceland and Russia, and eating in a park in the UK. It was a really cool set-up for a theme park. All the countries had music, food and architecture to match the appropriate cultures. We watched a really good cirque-du-soleil type show, and dizzied ourselves on my favorite ride-the teacups! I felt like I was 6 years old again, back in Disneyland. It was Andrews first big theme park experience, and both our firsts on huge roller-coasters. I think we may become adrenaline junkies! The sometimes hour-long wait in line was SO worth the 4 minutes of thrill on the rides. Oli and Christina take their girls there on Sundays, but they said it was a nice change to go on the "big kid" rides. We were happy to join them :)
That evening, after Christina cooked us a delicious dinner, we dolled up and headed out for a night on the town. Being out with these two in Germany was really cool, as we had talked in Railey about visiting them, and how we would go to Europa Park and then have too many beers on the town--and we did just that! Talk about Deja Vu.
Sunday was what we like to call a hang-over day. We snuggled on the couch, watched movies and ate great food (our first taste of Raclette). Later in the day we finally got to meet the two cutest German girls on the planet. Thessie, a matter-of-fact 6 year old full of energy, and the more reserved Anni, with the biggest blue eyes, just like her Momma.
Thessie drug out the boxes of Lego, so we spent the afternoon building ships and helicopters under her (very strict) orders. Andrew definitely won best prize with his helicopter!
The next day Andrew and I spent the morning and early afternoon walking in and around the Black Forest-named this due to the dense population of pine trees. It was good to get some fresh air, and walking off the alcohol wasn't such a bad thing either.
Before leaving we spent a couple more hours playing with the girls. We built forts, played Play-Doh, and made puzzles. Every time something needed fixed on the fort, or anytime the girls wanted our attention, they yelled "Chessie!". It was close enough, and after realizing how quick I would respond, it became the word for everything. I'm sure Oliver and Christina are still having nightmares with "Chessie!" ringing in their ears.
It was yet another sad goodbye. The girls sent us off with stuffed animals and pictures, hugs, and some tears.
O & C, you two are so genuine and fun; you opened your home to us, and treated us like family. Your girls are very lucky to have such great parents, and you guys are just as lucky to have such wonderful daughters. We are so thankful for meeting you at that fire show in Railey. We hope to meet again soon. Give Anni and Thessie hugs for us, and tell them their Teddies are keeping us company :) xx
After goodbyes, Oliver drove us to Basel, where we caught our flight to Spain. In a (quick) ten days we toured Barcelona, Granada, Toledo, and Madrid. That's up next!
We are down to only three weeks left. Ah, how time flies. We most definitely have mixed emotions about our upcoming flight home, but there are no words to express how excited we are to spend some quality catch-up time with friends and family.
Until then,
xx A&C
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